Worshippers of Shi
by Miaka Kennyuuki
Summary: The Prince Bartonii has escaped from his homeland with his four trusted vassals after an assassination attempt. But something else is going on in the world of humans. What is it, and what has it to do with Shi?
1. The Dark Five

Worshippers of Shi (Death) by Miaka Kennyuuki  
  
Disclaimer: Shin Kodousenki Gundam Wing is owned by Bandai and Sotsu Entertainment, with shares in Cartoon Network. In light of this, please do not sue me for the purely legal action of manipulating these beautiful bishies. Thank you.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for now  
  
Pairings: Heero/Duo and Quatre/Trowa plus Wufei/OC/Treize etc...  
  
Summary: The land of Eurasia is rife with conflict and betrayal. In an act of desperation, the Sorcerer of Eurasia's Prince created a portal that send the Prince, along with his special bodyguards, into another, safer world. Or so they thought...  
  
Ch.1: The Dark Five  
  
The doors to Kaatori Academy flew open and five boys stepped through. Their presence dominated the halls and proceeding corridor, reaching the teens in the classrooms behind each door. Soon each door was open and a class of teenagers were peeking through them at the five boys. Most immediately gasped while a few sighed.  
  
Standing at the front, looking like he owned the building he had just entered, stood a boy with tanned skin, softly slanted blue eyes, and a messy mop of chocolate brown hair. He wore a loose black tank top, revealing his wiry muscles and thin arms. His legs were encased in skin tight black jeans.  
  
Beside him, but a little behind stood a slightly shorter boy with a long rope of chestnut hair flowing down his back. Wide cobalt blue eyes looked out of a solemn face that gave the impression of a high capacity for humor. Pale skin graced his pixie-like face, giving away a fragile beauty instead of a rugged handsomeness like his companion. Dressed from head to toe in black leather, the boy wore a black shirt that zipped to his throat, a black mini leather jacket, and black leather shorts with silver chains running from one pocket to another.  
  
To the first guy's left stood a tall boy with a strange hairstyle. A shock of his honey brown hair fell down his forehead, obscuring one eye. The other eye was a bright leaf green, accentuating his European toned skin and handsome face perfectly. He wore a black cashmere turtleneck and a black vest over that. His legs were poured into tight black jeans.  
  
Behind this walking wet dream was the very image of a fallen angel. Breaking the repetition of black slightly, this boy wore a black dress shirt, grey vest and tie, and gray Doc Marten slacks. Shorter still than the second boy, this boy had feathery blond hair cut short and boyishly, and aquamarine eyes that gleamed with something much more innocent than the other boys. Though his skin was pale, his Arabian heritage was evident by the gold rings on his fingers. An aura of kindness and calm surrounded him.  
  
Lastly, surrounded by a cloud of displeasure, stood a boy of obvious oriental descent. To the right of the blond, this boy had shoulder length black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and onyx eyes so dark they were almost black. A tight black gi enveloped his lean form, molding to almost feminine curves. A black belt cinched it at the waist, the only break being the white cuffs and collar.  
  
All five boys regarded the school with no small amount of disgust. It was evident they'd seen either better, or just plain didn't like the atmosphere. Finally, one spoke. The small blond shifted a little.  
  
"Doesn't seem like much, oji-sama," he said, scanning the hallway once more. A few of the teens shrunk back from the coldness and disgust in his sea blue eyes.  
  
"Most of these common places don't," said the boy with the shock of hair covering one eye. "We have to learn not to expect too much from them. We must blend in, enroll in this school. Take care of it, Captain."  
  
"Hai[1], oji-sama[2]," the blond said, innocent aura suddenly replaced by an almost warlike presence.  
  
"Houshi[3] will mask our true presence. Ne, Houshi-kun?" the boy said.  
  
"Hai, oji-sama," the braided boy said, bowing.  
  
"Wards will be put up in whatever sleeping quarters we acquire, and a reading will have to be done on all five of us. Understood, Yogensha[4]? Bakuretsu[5]?" the unibanged kid asked.  
  
"Hai, oji-sama," said the oriental and asian boys.  
  
"Good. Let's go," said the green-eyed boy. The other four bowed then resumed their previous formation as they proceeded through the halls. Soon they reached a door labled 'Kocho/Principal'. The asian boy with the messy hair stepped forward and opened it, the other four entering before him. Once inside he closed the door and they resumed formation. Sitting at a small desk beside another door was a pretty girl with brown hair and brown eyes. Her hair was shoulder length and slightly curled, and she had a pen stuck over one ear. She was typing furiously on her computer.  
  
The oriental boy stepped forward this time. "Onna[6]," he said rudely, causing the girl to look up sharply. "We need to see the principal."  
  
"My name is Catherine Bloom, not onna. And I'm the secretary for Principal Jiguchi," she snapped back.  
  
"Whatever, onna. Just get us the principal," the boy responded, looking disinterestedly at a picture of a young boy and the girl before him playing in a field. Seeing what he eyed, Catherine snatched it away from him. Huffing angrily, she pressed a button on her desk phone, opening the speakerphone line.  
  
"Sir, there are five extremely rude boys here to see you," she said, before quickly cutting off the line. The unibanged boy raised his head.  
  
"Bakuretsu?" he said quietly.  
  
"Hai, oji-sama," said the asian kid. He quickly raised one hand and waved it in front of Catherine's eyes. The girl's eyes glazed over. The boy waved his hand again in a wide sweep of the room, causing a pale glow to encase everything. Any sounds stopped, and a fly that had been on its way to terrorizing the principal froze midair. "Is this good?"  
  
"Your time stop is impeccable as always, Odin," the unibanged boy said. He seperated from the group and circled the room, deep in thought. "Our aliases will have to be clever and easy to exude. I have already chosen our names and backgrounds. Captain."  
  
"Oji-sama?" the small blond said, stepping forward.  
  
"You will remain the same, Quatre Raberba Winner. You are the rich son of a powerful man but you are also unusually nice and sweet. Try not to slip into soldier mode too often," the unibanged kid said. Quatre nodded. "Yogensha."  
  
"Hai?" the oriental boy said.  
  
"You are no longer Long Diwu. You are Chang Wufei, proud warrior of a lost Clan. You are mysterious, surly and unapproachable, but you occasionally impart some of your wise knowledge on the lower beings. You are also a large hater of woman, you believe they are weak." Wufei bowed low. "Bakuretsu."  
  
"Hn." The asian boy stepped forward.  
  
"You, Odin, are now Heero Yuy, a studious but anti-social boy. You are attentive in class, but easily bored. You only have one person you can tolerate, someone no one would ever think would hang out with someone as cold and unfeeling as you." Heero nodded. "Which brings us to that person. Houshi."  
  
"Hai~!" the braided boy chirped, a beautific grin spreading across pink lips that seemed to be begging to grin all day. The unibanged kid chuckled.  
  
"You, who has no name, you will be Duo Maxwell, best friend of Heero Yuy. You are lively, talkative, witty, charming, a slack off, and girls love you. Your best friend makes sure you do enough homework to pass and you get him to open up a little bit each day. You especially like to torment Wufei." Duo saluted crookedly. "And me. I, Prince Triton Bartonii of East Eurasia, am now Trowa Barton, an introspective young boy who speaks little yet says much. Friends with Duo, yet best friends with Quatre, and on speaking terms with Wufei. In this way we will communicate. Understood?"  
  
"Wakatte[7]," the four chorused.  
  
"Good," Trowa said. "Now stick to your stories and we'll be fine. Heero?"  
  
Heero stepped forward and waved a hand again. Catherine's eyes unglazed and the fly continued on it's way. The glow faded. The speakerphone crackled to life.  
  
"Catherine? Who'd you say was out there?" asked a middle-aged voice.  
  
"Five diliquents, sir. They look dangerous," she said, eyeing the boys suspiciusly.  
  
"Alright. I'll be out in a moment." A minute later, a middle-aged man came out of the office beside Catherine's desk. He had dirty blond hair and faded brown eyes. "Konnichi wa, minna-san. Hiroyuki Jiguchi desu ka.[8]"  
  
The five teens watched the principal with an expression of mild disgust on their faces. With a look from Trowa, they masked it. "State your names. You know how to speak this language," he whispered.  
  
"Heero Yuy desu."  
  
"Duo Maxwell. Ohayou.[9]"  
  
"Quatre Winner desu ka. Hajimemashite.[10]"  
  
"Chang Wufei."  
  
"Trowa Barton desu ka. Dozo yoroshiku.[11]"  
  
Principal Jiguchi watched them closely, surprised that they answered so quickly and in sync, no less. He shrugged his composure around him and stuck out his hand to the one that was obviously the leader, the strange kid with the long bang who called himself Trowa. "Nice to meet you all, Barton-kun. Did you boys need something?"  
  
The messy-haired kid named Heero stepped forward. "Oji-sa...er, I mean, Barton-kun and the rest of us wish to enroll in this school," he said coldly, stumbling suspiciously over a word that sounded like 'my Prince.'  
  
"Alright. But today is a school day and we only enroll on weekends. If you'd leave your names and address Catherine will get back to you this Saturday," Jiguchi said matter-of-factly. "Thank you for coming, though."  
  
"Do itashimashite, Jiguchi-kocho [12]. We will be back in two days. Thank you for your time," Trowa said smoothly. He bowed to the man, as did his companions. "Heero?"  
  
"Hai," said Heero. He pulled a slip of paper from one tight black pocket and Duo pulled a pen from a side pocket in his mini jacket and handed it to the Japanese boy. Heero scrawled something quickly and handed it to Catherine. All five bowed to Jiguchi one more time, and sneered at Catherine before leaving silently out the door.  
  
The secretary gasped, drawing the principal over. "What is it, Catherine?" Jiguchi asked. Catherine said nothing, just pointed a trembling finger at the paper. It said thus:  
  
2004 Circle Oak Place  
Kurayami Manor  
~The Dark Five  
  
"Are they who I think they are?" Catherine squeaked. "They are in the Manor of Light's Absence, and they were dressed in all black..."  
  
"If they are, we can either be doomed or saved. The prophecy said neither, and all we can do is pray...it has begun..." Principal Jiguchi stepped away from Catherine and moved into his office, expertly hiding the hand clenched so tightly in fright that it was white around the edges. Unbeknownest to Catherine, Jiguchi had no hope. They were all going to hell...  
  
***Tsuzuku***  
  
So, ya like? I like. 'specially their drool worthy clothes. And I know it'll prolly get annoyin' but I plan on describing every piece of cloth that clings to that delicious skin every chance I get. so REVIEW my friends and you'll be seeing Heero in leather...  
  
[1] Hai- "yes" [2] Oji-sama- "my Prince" [3] Houshi - monk [4] Yogensha - soothsayer, person who can predict the future [5] Bakuretsu - sorcerer [6] Onna- "woman" [7] Wakatte- "Understood" [8] It means 'Hello, everyone. I am Hiroyuki Jiguchi." [9] Ohayou- "Good morning" [10] Hajimemashite- "How do you do?" [11] Dozo yoroshiku- "Nice to meet you" [12] It means "Your welcome, Principal Jiguchi." 


	2. Kurayami Manor

Ch.2: Kurayami Manor and the Story Behind the Prophecy  
  
The five boys dressed in black exited the school and immediately turned left, heading in the direction of Kurayami Manor, the place they'd listed as their address. It wasn't really their home, but they planned to move in that very day.  
  
"Duo, do you think anyone is in there?" Trowa asked, slipping into his role of one of Duo's friends easily.  
  
"Nope. I could feel Bloom-san's preordained reaction to the address. Right about now she should be trembling in fright because of ghost stories told at the height of midnight by friends and family," Duo answered in his cheery voice. "The Manor's got quite a history, Trowa."  
  
"I expected it to," Wufei said quietly. All the boys stopped and turned to the usually silent oriental boy. The soothsayer was speaking. "Kurayami means 'absence of light' in the terms of darkness. Here in Kyoto, everyone will have known that, simply because legends are their only entertainment. Aside from that, I Saw something..."  
  
Duo gasped. "You Saw already?! We've only been here a day!"  
  
"Do not look a gift horse in the mouth, Duo," Trowa said. "Tell me what you saw, Yogensha."  
  
Wufei bowed low. "The sky was dark and the air restless. People hid in their houses, the lights off. The only light in the entire city was the lights in the Manor. The Manor shined like a beacon in the dark night, the front door open. A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway, the light so bright no distinguishing features could be discerned. Even when the figure spoke, the gender was unknown. It said, 'Prophecy can flow throughout the years, centuries, over lands, dimensions, and especially through minds. The absence of light will bring the Harbingers of Darkness. The Worshippers of Shi can save us or damn us all. Tread lightly, people, or doom awaits both ways.' After that, the figure, then the manor, then the city disappeared in a swirl of the deepest darkness." Wufei bowed again then looked into his Prince's eyes.  
  
"Translation: the sky was dark, the lights were out, and some creepy dude spouted preordination. Simple enough, ne?" said Duo, a grin on his face. Quatre let out a startled laugh, the somber mood broken. The grim looks on everyone's faces lifted, even Wufei's. "So we still gonna live there?"  
  
"Yes. Now even more than before. There is something going on with this city, something I'm sure everyone knows. We must gather information on this. With that in mind, here we will split up. You know how my personal aura feels. Find me in one hour," Trowa said. "Dismissed."  
  
The other four bowed low and then disappeared down different roads and alleyways, their search to please their prince begun.  
  
***  
  
Slipping into a dingy building he'd found in an alley, Duo scanned the room he had just entered. It was dirty, smelled bad, and was filled with unwashed bodies. A perfect place to gather information and someplace he could relate to.  
  
Back in Eurasia, before Duo had become the esteemed Houshi of His Highness Prince Triton Bartonii, he'd been a theif in a gang called the Nanashi, orphans from the Ten Year War who couldn't remember their own names. One night, while snatching the fat purse of a robust old man, he was caught. The old man had a string attached to his purse, something only the people of West Eurasia did. Duo should have recognized that from the look of the man, but he had missed it. His mistake resulted in his being thrown to about ten of the merchant's servants in a dark alley, his pants half down his legs and his arms tied over head.  
  
He'd been saved by Prince Triton's Bakuretsu and Yogensha, two boys around his age. Diwu had known where he was by the flash of fear that had somehow reached the palace, and Odin had arrived on the scene, Immobilization fuda[1] flying left and right. Soon all the men where frozen and Duo was unconscious in Odin's arms. Since then Duo had been stuck to Odin's side, a light of gratefulness in his eyes whenever around the blue-eyed sorcerer. Odin was his Savior. He owed him his life...and his love.  
  
A crash dragged Duo from his thoughts. A bar fight had started while he was lost in his memories. As he looked around he noticed a girl no more than sixteen, his own age, crouching under the table in the center of the fight. He decided right then that that was his source of info. But no source was worth much dead, so Duo decided to perform a few magic tricks. Raisng one hand, palm out, he began to chant softly. Near the end of the lilting foreign words, he moved his hand in an intricate symbol. As the last word was cried, a sound like thunder filled the bar. Every person froze. In the confusion Duo slipped under the table and pulled the girl out and through the back door.  
  
Once they were alone, Duo turned to the girl. She had extremely short blue hair and shimmering blue eyes. The look of fright in them slowly faded to one of confusion. She opened her mouth and Duo braced himself for any and all questions. "Where you get mini jacket?" she asked. Duo facevaulted. Anything but that.  
  
"W-what?" he asked, suddenly realising she was speaking somewhat broken English.  
  
"Mi-ni jack-et. Mini jacket. Where you get?" she asked, enunciating the words carefully.  
  
"This old thing? I got it at this store in this world called Gothic Legend. Pretty cool, huh?" Duo said with a laugh. Suddenly he remembered his mission and sobered. "Look, lady, we can talk about my jacket some other time. Right now I need to ask you some questions..."  
  
****Tsuzuku****  
  
[1] fuda - paper talisman 


End file.
